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Category: Advocacy

Posts on advocacy, including organizations and public policy.

Podcast Episode 075 – Lois Letchford, a Literacy Problem Solver

Podcast Episode 0075, Season 5, Episode 6; 2 November 2021 Literacy Problem Solver From the Press Kit: Lois Letchford’s dyslexia came to light at the age of 39, when she faced teaching her seven-year-old non-reading son, Nicholas. Examining her reading failure caused her to adapt and change lessons for her…

Podcast Episode 074 – Sam Mitchell of Autism Rocks and Rolls

Podcast Episode 0074, Season 5, Episode 5; 26 October 2021 One of the ways bloggers and podcasters build their audiences is through hosting other content creators. We’re all in this together, sharing our stories and promoting a sense of community. This episode of The Autistic Me Podcast features Sam Mitchell,…

Podcast Episode 072 – Dr. Jerry Turner on Independent Evaluations

Podcast Episode 0072, Season 5, Episode 3; 12 October 2021 Special Education and Independent Evaluations Susan and I obtained a third-party neuropsychological evaluation for our oldest daughter, Leigh, to ensure she receives the public education supports mandated by federal law. Many parents don’t realize you can obtain and submit an…

Podcast Episode 069 – Season Five Trailer

Podcast Episode 0069, Season 5, Episode “0”; 31 August 2021 Season Five Trailer This podcast is about real life. I’m an exhausted parent, an imperfect husband, a freelance writer, a former educator, and an authentic diagnosed autistic struggling to hold things together day after day. Transcript Welcome to The Autistic Me Podcast.…

Why I Dislike Neurotypical (and Other Terms, too)

Neuro, the Greek-based root for Neurodiversity, neurology, and neurons, draws attention to the physical nature of the brain and the greater nervous system. With my doctorate in rhetoric, I get stuck on words and meaning. More accurately, my obsession with precise meaning and clear communication likely guided me towards the…

Not Celebrating a Diagnosis

“I celebrate every autism diagnosis!” declares a post circulating among autistic self-advocates. I read this in several ways. First, the positives. Diagnoses help individuals receive services and supports. For many people, a diagnosis also helps understand struggles. Diagnoses also ensure, with disclosure, some legal protections. The negatives exist, too. Believe…

Rigorous Studies Fail to Support ABA, Other Behavioral Therapies

Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) is an ineffective family of “therapies” with a dark, disturbing origin, which I’ve written about several times. Notice that ABA is not named Applied Behavior Therapy. It’s not what I’d consider therapy and it isn’t really presented to parents and caregivers as therapy. Mental health therapies help…

Podcast Episode 063 – John Ordover Chats about Everything

Podcast Episode 0063; Season 04, Episode 27; April 20, 2021 John Ordover is a man of many talents. A creative consultant, a writer, an editor, and a stand-up comic. He’s even appeared as an extra in some of my favorite television shows. John also advocates for the autistic community as the father of an…